ht would be of great benefit to Oliver in that
stage of his recovery, when old Mr Donnithorne entered the room with a
somewhat perturbed expression of countenance.

"How are you, Charlie my boy?" he said. "Oliver, I want to have a few
minutes' talk with you in my room on business; I know Charlie will
excuse you."

"I was on the point of taking leave at any rate," said Tregarthen with a
smile, as he grasped Oliver's hand; "think over our plan, like a good
fellow; I am sure Mr Donnithorne will approve of it, and I'll look in
to-morrow forenoon to hear what decision you come to."

"Oliver," said Mr Donnithorne, sitting down opposite the invalid when
his friend had left, and frowning portentously, "d'you know I'm a ruined
man?"

"I trust not, uncle," replied Oliver with an incredulous smile,
supposing that the old gentleman was jesting.

"Yes, but I am," he repeated with tremendous gravity. "At all events, I
shall be ere long. These--these--vile jewels will be the death of me."

Having thus broken the ice Mr Donnithorne went on with much volubility
of utterance and exasperation of tone to explain that legal proceedings
had been instituted for the recovery of the jewels which he had
purchased from the fishermen; that things seemed almost certain to go
against him; and that in all probability he should be compelled to sell
his estate in order to refund the money.

"But can you not sell your shares in Botallack and refund with the
proceeds?" said Oliver.

"No, I cannot," replied the old gentleman. "You know that at present
these shares are scarcely saleable except at a ruinous discount, and it
would be a pity to part with them just now, seeing that there is some
hope of improvement at this time. There is nothing for it but to sell
my estate, and I don't think there will be enough left to buy butter to
my bread after this unhappy affair is settled, for it amounts to some
thousands of pounds."

"Indeed, uncle! how comes it that they found out the value of them?"

"Oh, simply enough, Oliver, but strangely too. You must know that
Maggot, the scoundrel (and yet not such a scoundrel either, for the
fellow informed on me in a passion, without having any idea of the
severity of the consequences that would follow),--Maggot, it seems, kept
the cloth belt in which the jewels were found tied round the owner's
waist, and there happened to be a piece of parchment sewed up in the
folds of it, in which the number and value o